Sports Rehabilitation

Does this scenario sound familiar?

You suffered a relatively minor shoulder strain or ankle sprain. You returned to playing your sport as soon as the pain was bearable, only to have persistent and bothersome pain in your shoulder or repeated ankle sprains, with the simplest of activities?

Why does this happen?

Even though the pain is gone after your injury it doesn't mean you're fully recovered. Pain is only a very small indicator of your overall level of injury, state of tissue healing and level of recovery. Other factors are equally as important as pain; these factors include strength, range of motion, balance and proprioception (the ability to react to and control unplanned movements) among others.

What if you donít rehabilitate the injured area?

Deficits in strength, range of motion, balance and proprioception may appear soon after injury occurs. Failure to address each of these factors individually or together may lead to prolonged and persistent pain, a greater likelihood of re-injuring the area and the possibility of injuring another adjacent area.

Who is sports rehabilitation for, and what does it involve?

Sports rehabilitation is for everyone regardless of the sport you participate in or the level of your involvement. Injuries can be suffered in any sport - from walking to mountain biking, or skiing or bowling - and it is important to completely rehabilitate after injury. A recreational athlete or weekend-warrior may need and benefit from physiotherapy to rehabilitate a sports injury as much as a professional or Olympic athlete would.

The physiotherapists at Kamloops Physiotherapy are university educated and have obtained additional post-graduate orthopedic training in the science of assessment and rehabilitation of sports and orthopedic injuries. Each therapist will complete a full history and thorough assessment that will identify the injured structures and possibly uncover reasons why you injured the area in the first place. This information can then be integrated into a comprehensive treatment and exercise program designed to address your specific problem areas and guide your successful return to the highest level of pre-injury activity... often to a level higher than before you were injured!